


Phoenix Ascending

by milesrunner777



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: BAMF Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, F/M, Gen, Language because it's Jason, Talia is a good mom, We're forming the Jason Todd Protection Squad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-04-07 21:10:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19093201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milesrunner777/pseuds/milesrunner777
Summary: After Bruce nearly beats him to death on a Gotham rooftop, Jason considers all ties to the Batfamily to be officially severed. Too bad most of his siblings don't see it that way. And if only he could stop running into other members of the Justice League...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just like everyone else, I was super disgusted by RHATO 25. There was no reason for Batman to have done what he did. But I'm also really upset that, at the time of publishing the first chapter, they have essentially abandoned Artemis and Bizarro to wherever they disappeared to. It's been 9 issues, and Jason hasn't shown any inclination to search for them, and has basically acquired a new team, which... isn't that basically exactly what Bruce did to him all those years ago? This will attempt to fix the flaws as I see them to the best of my ability.
> 
> Heavily inspired by "In The Days After" by DragonflyxParodies, "The Natural Conclusion" by EasfitHadia, and "Who I am. Who I'll Never Be" by Zootopon.

Current

“ _The Crime Alley Riots against Batman have now lasted for five days without ceasing. The spark that lit the fire behind the riots was Batman’s public, not to mention televised, beating of fellow Gotham vigilante ‘The Red Hood’, who had endeared himself to the residents of Crime Alley through his successful efforts to make the area safer. Batman accused the Red Hood of killing Oswald Cobblepot, also known as notorious Gotham mob boss and criminal, ‘The Penguin’. While the gunshot wound was critical, Cobblepot is expected to survive…_ ”

Talia’s phone rang, startling her slightly and distracting her from the newscast. She looked, and her heart skipped a beat. Jason was calling. He’s alive, thank god, she thought. She answered the call.

“Jason? Are you safe? Are you alright?”

There wasn’t an immediate answer.

“ _Habibi_?” she whispered.

“Um, hey, this is Arsenal- uh, Roy Harper. I’m the guy that got him off the roof, away from the Bat-prick. Um, Jason… he really isn’t doing too great. He just woke up from a coma about a minute ago, motioned towards his phone and told me to call you before going back to sleep, so…”

Talia unconsciously nodded. “How much medical attention has he received?”

“Not much. I mean, I’m not exactly a trained surgeon, you know? I can do field first aid, bandaging wounds, setting bones, putting dislocated joints into place, stuff like that. I did what I could, but Jason needs way more than I can do. And I can’t exactly take him to any hospitals or do much traveling, without leaving a trail that the Bats could follow in their sleep.” Talia heard him sigh, away from the phone. “I’m scared for him. His physical injuries are one thing, and they’re bad. Really bad. But can you imagine the psychological damage he’ll have from this? Bruce was the closest thing he had to a real father, and… fuck... Jaybird...” He broke off, emotion for a man he loved like a brother clogging his throat.

“Where are you? I’ll be at your location as soon as possible.”

“What?”

“Jason obviously needs medical attention. Even after your former mentor killed my father and gave his title to a traitor, I still have access to an abundance of resources, and can travel unseen. He will also require a safe place to recuperate, away from the Bats, away from Gotham. Even if Bruce could find which of my compounds Jason would be in, he knows it would be suicide to breach the property.”

Roy gave her their location. After thanking him, she hung up the phone, and arranged for her private jet to be ready and waiting within the hour.

As she approached the Wayne Enterprises warehouse Roy and Jason were hiding in, Talia silently appreciated Harper’s street savvy. She doubted Bruce would think to look for people hiding from him in a location that he owns. Especially since the most expedient route from the Manor would be to pass through Crime Alley, an area now off-limits to him. From his secondary location at Wayne Tower, he would have to make a wide berth around Robinson Park, where Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman were apparently on the warpath. The three ladies always held a soft spot for Jason, as he had a far easier time relating to them than any of the other Bats, and would often converse with them during free time on patrol. Talia chuckled inwardly. The watchtower wasn’t even safe for him anymore, as Talia wasn’t the only person who occupied a motherly role in Jason’s life: Wonder Woman was outraged at Bruce’s treatment of the man she regarded as her son.

Talia had watched the incident footage multiple times, analyzing it. She knew how brutal Bruce had been while attacking Jason. But none of it prepared her for the horror she felt seeing him in person. Every inch of Jason’s exposed skin seemed to be covered in bruises, and what wasn’t was either cut or scarred. His right calf was wrapped in an ace bandage, and his right arm was in a sling. Both of his eyes appeared to be swollen shut. She couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

Upon hearing the sound, Roy turned around, nocked an arrow and aimed in one fluid motion. When he saw Talia and her bodyguards, however, he stood down and greeted them.

“Sorry for almost shooting you,” he apologized. “I’ve been… on edge recently.”

Talia waved it off. “As you should be. I’m happy that you are trying to ensure the wellbeing of my son.”

Roy raised his eyebrows at the last part, but let it pass without comment. They then made their way over to the cot Jason was resting on.

In response to Roy’s unspoken question, Talia said, “I have a- shall we say, repurposed- ambulance waiting outside, and a jet at a private hangar just a few miles from here. I know from Jason how Batman tracks me, and I laid down some misdirection to keep him away. There won’t be any interference.”

Roy nodded, then asked, “Not trying to be rude or anything, but why you? Why did Jason have me call you?”

Talia tilted her head, as if considering how to answer the question. “As was stated, I think of Jason as a son.”

Roy scoffed. “I’m sure Damian is happy about that.”

Talia pursed her lips at the interruption, but answered him with the ghost of a smirk on her face. “No, Damian can be quite possessive at times. No doubt due to his status, both as an Al Ghul and as a Wayne. In any case, Jason in turn considers me a mother figure. After his death, I was the one who really took care of him, vouched for him in front of my father, calmed him when the rage from the Pit threatened to overwhelm him. We became close as a result.” She paused. “There were other people who he could have contacted rather than me, but they came with more risks and concerns. For example, Jason has always been close to Miss Prince, dating back to his days as Robin. However, due to the close friendship she has with Batman, she might be slightly compromised.”

Roy opened his mouth to interrupt, but Talia cut him off. “I don’t believe she would give him up to Batman’s custody. However, given her background as a diplomat, she may operate under the mistaken belief that Jason and Bruce could mend their relationship if they talk through their problems, and she may push them into an intervention, with her as a mediator.”

She paused again as they began moving Jason to the ambulance. “Then there’s Miss Kyle. I have no doubts that she, as well as Harley Quinn and Pamela Isley, would do everything in their power to keep Jason away from Batman. However, if he sought refuge with them, he would be trapping himself in Gotham, and the shadow of the Bat would loom over him if he ever left their botanical sanctuary. It would also be unlikely that he would he able to obtain the medical assistance he is in desperate need of.”

As they loaded Jason into the back of the ambulance, Talia continued, “I give Jason the space he needs away from the Bats, away from Gotham. I can bring in some of the best medical professionals the world can offer. And most importantly, I can remind him, just as you have, that there are still people in this world that care about him and want what is best for him.”

As she climbed into the ambulance beside Jason, Talia stopped and looked back at Roy.

“Mr. Harper? You are welcome to come with us, if you would like to do so.”

He thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I want to, but I can’t. Jason is like a brother to me, but… I have a daughter. Lian. I haven’t seen her in days, since she saw her Uncle Jaybird get brutally attacked on live television and I had to go save him. She’s probably extremely worried. Besides, he probably wants me to have my hands clean, so I can search for his missing teammates- you know about that, right? Bruce sure as hell didn’t.”

She nodded. “Yes, I am aware of the fate that befell Artemis Grace and the clone, Bizarro. I wish you luck in your search. I will be searching for them as well, when I can.” She paused, and looked Roy in the eyes. “Thank you, Roy Harper, for saving my son. I am in your debt.”


	2. Chapter 2

Five days earlier

Roy had to try extremely hard to contain the rage he felt towards Batman as he half-dragged, half-carried Jason through the empty alleys of the Bowery. If it wasn’t for his overwhelming need to get Jason to safety, he would turn around right now and turn the Bat into a pincushion.

Jason had passed out shortly after they hit street level, and wasn’t showing any signs of waking. As he helped Jason along, he realized that it wasn’t a good idea to take him to one of his safehouses. It was likely that Batman knew more safehouses that Jason owned than Roy did.

As they limped their way through the streets, Roy saw people catch a glimpse of them. To his surprise, however, most just gave him a nod of acknowledgement, then resumed whatever they were doing. It took him several minutes to realize that Jason protected these people. He was their hero; not Batman, not Robin, not even Nightwing or Batgirl. The Red Hood was the one to keep the Bowery and Crime Alley safe. These people may be just as pissed off as Roy was.

Just as Roy was starting to worry that he wouldn’t find a suitable place to hide Jason, he spotted a warehouse for Wayne Enterprises that looked somewhat neglected near the docks to Gotham Harbor. He nearly let out a sigh of relief. It was doubtful that the Bats would look here, a place that bore the Wayne name.

They entered the warehouse, and Roy made sure to bolt the door behind him. He managed to find an old cot to lay Jason in, and a few first aid kits to tend to Jason’s wounds. Inadequate care was better than nothing. But there was so much, too much damage, too many injuries to treat. _How could a father do this to his son_ , he thought. After what seemed like hours, Roy finally completed all he could do for Jason. He tried contacting Kori using a Tamaranean transponder she had gifted both of them last time they all saw each other, but she didn’t answer. He knew that she would respond eventually. All he could do now was wait. Wait and hope.

\--------------------

This night had finally broken Tim’s mind. Bruce’s brutal beatdown of Jason was being televised all over Gotham. There would be some who would rejoice, believing the Red Hood to be dangerous and a menace to society. However, there would be many who would denounce the actions of the Bat, as the Red Hood was known in lower-income areas as a soft-hearted man who did what was necessary, and always helped out the street kids and the prostitutes.

And Jason didn’t even fight back. Hell, he barely even tried to defend himself against the onslaught. After analyzing the footage, Tim believed Jason barely even registered Bruce’s presence, until bones started breaking. There was something they were all missing something. And it was something big. Something that would override Jason’s base instinct to strike back when attacked.

But even Bruce’s brutality and Jason’s lack of a response paled in comparison to Alfred crying on Tim’s weird scale. Alfred, with his vaunted British stoicism, had been sobbing, his whole body shaking with the tears. He had been bringing down coffee for Tim when he saw the broadcast playing on the large computer screen. He dropped the mug, shattering it, and nearly collapsed on the spot. He barely managed to stagger over to a chair to sit in. Now, Alfred appeared to be lost in thought. Tim knew what he was reminiscing on. They all received a tirade from Jason when he returned to Gotham nearly a year after his showdown with Bruce and the Joker. They wanted him to come home to Wayne Manor, and Jason responded by showing them a scar at the base of his neck, where Bruce had hit him with a Batarang. Tim had been thinking of his talk with Jason all night.

“ _You see, Little Red? Bruce obviously cares more about the Joker than me. Go bug him about joining the family_ ” Jason had said to him that day. It took the family months to convince him otherwise. Even then, he was only really close with Tim, Steph, Cass and Barbara. And Alfred, of course. It was well-known, but unspoken, that Jason was always Alfred’s favorite, and Jason thought Alfred was a saint.

Just when Tim thought things couldn’t get any more weird, reports started coming in that Oswald Cobblepot was in critical condition. He wasn’t dead. Tim went back and watched the footage. Jason shot him in the eye at point-blank range. _But that means… no… if Jason wanted to kill somebody, they’d be dead. It wasn’t a kill shot. Holy fuck, Jason wasn’t trying to kill Cobblepot. And Bruce attacked him. Beat him. All for something he didn’t do_.

Tim looked around the cave. “Hey Alfred? Where’s Damian? He was down here when… when it all started. But now he’s gone. Where is he?”

Alfred looked up.

“I don’t know, Master Tim.”

\--------------------

When Damian saw what his father had done to Jason, he ran to his room. He locked the door, and began breathing exercises to calm himself. They didn’t work. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Bruce mercilessly pummelling Jason.

_What if Father does that to me_ , he thought. _What happens if I slip up and go too far?_

He tried meditating again, but all he could see was himself now, being savagely beaten by his father. He ceased his attempts at meditation and pulled out his phone.

“Jon? Can you come to the Manor? It’s an emergency.”

Jon agreed to come over, and Damian hurriedly packed a few sets of clothes, some spare Batarangs, and a few other weapons into a duffel. He didn’t want to pack the Robin suit, knowing there where tracker hidden in the material. He also wrote a short note addressed to Alfred explaining his decision, and asking him to care for his pets while he was away. Within ten minutes, Jon Kent was tapping on Damian’s window. He opened it to let Jon in.

“I’m scared” Damian blurted out. “Father just assaulted Todd for shooting a criminal in public, and what if…” He could feel the tears starting to well up. “What if he attacks me? I’ve killed before, what if I do it again? Will he assault me?”

No words were necessary. Jon just stepped forward and wrapped Damian in a hug. Damian broke down crying. “I’m so scared. Can I… can I stay with your family for a short time?”

Jon nodded, and Damian grabbed his duffel. They left through the window, bound for Metropolis.

\--------------------

Dick didn’t know what to do. On one hand, what Bruce did was awful. There was no disagreeing with that. But Jason had shot the Penguin on live television. Selina had dumped Bruce at the altar not even a week ago, and Bruce was still feeling the emotional effects of that. But was that an adequate excuse for Bruce’s behavior? Does the fact that Bruce had a shitty week mean that he can exorcise his inner demons by assaulting his son?

Dick remembered how Jason had responded when he tried bringing him back into the family after he returned to Gotham with Roy and Kori, the original Outlaws. Jason was very resistant to the idea, citing his scar from the Batarang that Bruce had thrown as proof that Bruce didn’t want him around. Dick and the rest of the family had assured him that Bruce would never intentionally hurt him like that again.

Bruce had made liars of them.

But Dick couldn’t just stop believing in Batman and his mission. Bruce had been his legal father for over seven years now, and was his legal guardian for a decade before that. He couldn’t turn his back on Bruce now, could he? They have been through everything together, they were the original Dynamic Duo.

_There has to be a good reason why Bruce acted the way he did. Right?_

\--------------------

Barbara, Stephanie and Cass were staring at the TV in shock. They had never seen Bruce lose control like that. Barbara had heard that, shortly after she had been shot by the Joker, only 6 months after Jason’s death, Bruce had nearly beaten the Joker to death for mocking Batman for being unable to save his former Robin, and that the new one would meet the same fate. But that was the Joker. This was Jason, his son, that he had just abused.

Barbara was the first to pull herself together, and began directing the younger two girls.

“Cass, head out, see what you can find about why Jason shot Penguin, and reasons, beyond his emotional response to Selina leaving him at the altar, for why Bruce would act the way he did. Steph, try getting in touch with the boys, figure out their reactions to the situation. Alfred too, while you’re at it. I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now. I think a certain part of him feels like he failed Jason somehow. Try… try to reassure him.”

Cass nodded and left. Steph pulled out her phone, but then turned to Barbara.

“What about you? What are you planning?”

Barbara looked at her with a devious grin. “I’m going to make it impossible for Bruce to try to track Jason.”

An hour later, they reconvened to discuss the situation.

Cass spoke first. “Shooting was… act of revenge. Jason… mad. Penguin did… something. Someone close to Jason… hurt by Penguin.”

“Did you find out any reason why Bruce acted so brutally towards Jason?”

Cass looked at the floor. “They had… agreement. Jason could stay in Gotham if he didn’t kill. Bruce said… Jason broke agreement. But Penguin… not dead.”

The other two nodded solemnly. They had all heard that the gunshot was not fatal.

“So basically, Jason got the shit kicked out of him for something he didn’t even do. All he did is take drastic steps to correct a wrongdoing, something he’s done for nearly two years without serious repercussions.” Steph summed up. “I mean, after this, after what Bruce just did, how can we ever convince him to come back. Like, to we even have the right to consider Jason family anymore, after all that we have done to him?”

Barbara’s eyes blazed. “No. It was Bruce that ostracized him, Dick that supported him, and Damian that encouraged him. When have we, or Tim, or Alfred, ever intentionally done anything to hurt Jason? Bruce sure as hell isn’t my father, but Jason is the closest I’ve ever had to a brother.” She stopped to collect herself. “Steph, how did things go with the boys?”

“Well, neither Dick nor Damian answered when I called, but Damian texted me saying he was in Metropolis with Jon. Methinks he freaked out and ran, thinking that if Bruce would do that to Jason, who he considers a son, what would stop him from doing that to Damian if he went too far with a criminal?” She paused for breath. “Tim did answer though, and he was with Alfred. At the beginning of the call, they were freaking out because they couldn’t find Damian. They calmed down a bit when I told them Damian was with the Kents. Anyhow, Tim is pissed, and is cutting ties to Batman and Bruce Wayne. Alfred… he’s currently packing for a vacation to England that could last a while. Tim says Batman is currently at the Watchtower, so the plan is for Tim to resign in front of the League for maximum shock value, and to give Alfred enough time to leave the Manor before Bruce comes back.”

Barbara nodded. “That’s good. So Dick is the only unknown in this situation.” She sighed and kneaded at her temples. “At some point, he’ll declare his intentions, and we’ll go from there.”

It went unspoken that, like Tim, all three of them were planning on removing themselves from Batman’s sphere of influence.

Both Steph and Cass noticed the look of sorrow Barbara was trying to hide. When she saw the other two girls looking at her in concern, Barbara sighed.

“Stop. I’ll be fine.”

Steph raised an eyebrow. Barbara rolled her eyes.

“Okay, fine, I still have feelings for Dick. Probably always will. But if he- if he tries sweeping this under the rug, the same way he does most of Bruce’s mistakes, if he won’t stand up for Jason, then I’ll just have to move on. I’ll get over it, I promise.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Steph spoke up. “So Babs, what exactly did you do while we were busy with our tasks?” she asked.

Barbara smirked. “To put it simply for those who aren’t computer literate-”

Steph let out a scoff. “Rude.”

“-what I did is make it impossible for Bruce to track Jason electronically, from both the Batcave and the Watchtower. If he, or anyone else, tries to track Jason from one of those places, it will trigger a virus that will crash the servers, rendering them useless.”

With that, they fell into contemplative silence, thinking about how Jason wanted to cut ties with the family almost two years earlier. How they reacted to seeing the scar on his neck from a Batarang. How they had convinced Jason that Bruce would never hurt him like that again.

They were wrong.

An insistent beeping from Barbara’s computer startled them from their collective reverie. When Barbara saw the alert, she gasped.

“Crime Alley is rioting. They’re going after anything affiliated with Batman. They’re pissed.”

Stephanie scoffed. “Of course they are. Red Hood was _theirs_. He protected them, he was _one of them_. He was transparent with them, he told people that he had grown up in the Alley. He had no problem telling people that he used to be Robin, that Batman was like a dad to him. And the city just saw a father beat his son. Jason forged a connection with the people in Crime Alley and the surrounding areas, and that was _before_ they saw a publicly televised instance of domestic violence against him. They understand that, they see that everyday. How many of them were abused by their parents? They are on the warpath. Red Hood defended them against those that would hurt them, now they’re just returning the favor.”

\--------------------

Five days later

Roy was starting to doze off. Kori had gotten in contact with him a few days ago, she should be arriving within the next couple days. Jason was starting to run a fever, and Roy was struggling to keep it down. He still hadn’t stirred.

Roy jolted awake as Jason started shaking, then suddenly sat straight up, screaming. Roy ran over to him.

“Jason?”

He looked at Roy with a blank expression on his face for a second before recognizing him. He tried reaching for his front pocket where he normally kept his phone.

“Roy… Talia- call… call Talia.”

Then he passed back out.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason woke up disoriented. The last thing he remembered was jumping off a roof, being half-carried by Roy after… Bruce had almost killed him again. Once was a coincidence, twice is a pattern. There was no way he would ever go back now. But where was he?

 

“Roy?” he called out hoarsely. The effort hurt his throat. Scratch that, any type of movement was excruciating. He was hooked up to two IVs, and had the leads to a heart rate monitor on his chest. Just a couple moments after he had called out, a person that was definitely  _ not _ Roy came rushing into the room from an adjoining one.

 

“Jason?” Talia whispered.

 

“Talia” he responded, tears of relief welling up in his eyes. He was safe. Talia would never let anyone act maliciously towards him.

“Where’s-” Jason attempts to clear his throat, but the effort is too painful. Talia quickly fills up a glass of water, and holds it to Jason’s lips for him to drink. “-Roy? Where’s Roy?” he asks once he’s had some water.

 

“How much do you remember,  _ habibi _ ?”

 

“Bruce… he was attacking me, then Roy shot a smoke arrow, and he carried me off the roof.” He was silent for a moment, then he started. “Artemis and Bizarro! They… they disappeared.” Jason’s voice cracked. “I have to find them! I have to…” He broke down into tears.

 

Talia hugged him, and he buried his face in her shoulder. “I know,  _ habibi _ , I know. Roy is searching for them with your friend, Koriand’r, as am I, when time permits.” She paused. “To answer your question, you’ve been in a coma for most of the past eight days. You had a brief period of lucidity three days ago, where you told Roy to contact me. I came to get you straight away.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I was scared for you,  _ habibi _ . The whole thing, you shooting Cobblepot, your-” she cut herself short- “Batman attacking you, it was all televised. I was worried for you.”

 

For a moment, they were both silent, finding comfort in each other’s presence.

 

Talia broke the hug and resumed, “When I came for you, I offered Mr. Harper the opportunity to come as well, but he declined. He said he needed to see his daughter, no doubt to reassure her that he was safe, and you were not dead. As I already mentioned, he also wished to assist in the search for your teammates.”

 

“Oh god, Lian… she saw that?” Jason asked with tears in his eyes. Talia nodded. “Fuck… I need to call her, talk to her, tell her I’m okay.”

 

“You really care about this girl, don’t you?”

 

Jason nodded. “Lian is eight years old.” He smiled. “I met her three years ago, back when I was travelling with Roy and Kori. She just loved spending time with us: her dad, Uncle Jaybird, and Aunt Kori. We loved spending time with her too.” Jason chuckled, then grimaced at the pain. “You know, her mom is probably running around here somewhere, she’s always been loyal to you. Is Jade Nguyen still one of your trusted warriors?”

 

Talia gasped. “Cheshire? Cheshire is the mother of Roy Harper’s daughter?”

 

Jason grinned. “I know, shocking, isn’t it? It’s always interesting when a hero decides to fuck some sexy assassin lady, and they have a kid.”

 

Talia glared at Jason. Jason just grinned.

 

Talia sighed, recognizing and resigning herself to Jason’s poor attempt at humor.

 

“Onto more pressing matters. Batman broke every rib on the left side of your body, and fractured your radius and tibia on the right side of your body.  Your right shoulder was dislocated, but your friend Mr. Harper set that for you. Most of your torso is severely bruised. Your face suffered numerous small cuts from when your helmet broke. You also have a moderate concussion.” Talia paused with a pained expression on her face, and continued in a broken whisper. “If it wasn’t for your helmet, that kick to the head would have likely killed you. It was designed to withstand small-caliber rounds, but one kick from Batman shattered it” She let out a strangled sob and wrapped her arms around Jason once more. “He didn’t care about hurting you, he just wanted to put you down as if you were some sort of wild animal.” She said with tears in her eyes.

 

Jason was in shock. While Jason and Talia always respected each other too much to put on facades around each other, he had never seen her display this level of emotion. Frankly, it scared him. At a loss of anything else to do, he wrapped his arms around his chosen mother and held her close, rubbing her back.

 

After a few moments, Talia composed herself and returned to business. “In any case, even with the healing factor granted you by the Lazarus Pit, it will take you some time to recover from your injuries.” She paused, and looked tentatively at Jason. “There is a shortcut, but…”

 

“No. I’m not going in a Lazarus Pit again.”

 

Talia began retreating towards the door. “In that case, I suggest you rest, my son.”

 

On that note, she left the room and shut the door, leaving Jason to his thoughts.

 

\--------------------

 

They met in Crime Alley, in one of Jason’s safehouses that only Barbara and Tim knew of. It held a special significance to Jason, as it was his mom’s old apartment, the one he had grown up in. As such, he never used it, but he held onto it all the same. It was one of the few places Tim knew Bruce couldn’t get to them at. He was in Jason’s bedroom, admiring the small collection of blades Jason had stored there when Barbara, Cass and Steph arrived. Tim quickly ran to the door and disabled all the traps and alarms Jason had set up, and let them in. Hugs were exchanged, and in classic fashion, Barbara was the one to call them to order once greetings were finished and Steph had begun talking to Tim animatedly.

 

“Alright, so what’s the plan? Obviously, we’re going to find Jason and get his side of the story. Find out what Bruce missed, what we all missed. We need to show him that we still care about him. But how are we going to find him? Electronic tracking won’t work, because in order to deny Bruce access to anything that would allow him to track Jason, I had to cut us off from those systems as well.”

 

Tim spoke up. “We need to track down Roy. He is the last person we know had contact with Jason. I doubt that he will take kindly to our presence, as he will suspect we are hunting down Jason for Bruce, but if we can convince him otherwise, he would likely be able to help us.”

 

Barbara nodded. “Sound like a good start.” She looked to Steph and Cass. “Agreed?”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“Let’s get this party started!”

 

Steph wilted under the weight of three sets of glares. 

 

“Agreed.”

 

\--------------------

 

It had been nearly a week since Bruce had gone after Jason, and Dick decided it was about time that he go to the Manor and try to figure out what happened. He had received a call from Clark a few days back, telling him that he was worried about Bruce. But Dick waited a few more days after that call, still unsure of the best course of action. As he approached the Manor, Dick realized that Bruce was most likely in the Cave. Sure enough, Bruce was passed out in his chair in front of the computer, which looked like it had crashed. Bruce woke up as Dick approached.

 

“Have you come to quit as well? Are you going to rage at me like Tim did?”

 

Dick noticed that Bruce’s eyes were bloodshot, and that there were enormous dark circles ringing them. His nose was also bent at an odd angle, courtesy of Diana. Clark told him that after Tim announced his separation from Batman, and the reason for it, in front of all the founding members of the Justice League, Diana had attacked Bruce with a vengeance. She had broken his nose and possibly cracked a few ribs before Clark was able to pull her away.

 

“Bruce, when’s the last time you slept? Really slept, like in a bed, and for more than a few hours?”

 

“Not since…” Bruce looked down. “Alfred left. The night I fought Jason, he left me a note on the kitchen counter, saying that he decided he was going on a long-overdue vacation to England. I haven’t been upstairs since seeing the note.”

 

“But what about-”

 

“Damian is gone. Clark says he called Jon in a panic, and Jon took him to Metropolis. Cassandra and Stephanie are gone too. Barbara hasn’t been active recently either. They have all abandoned me.” 

 

Dick was overwhelmed with emotion.

 

“Dick, am I a monster? What I did to Jason, does that make me a monster?”

 

Dick made his way to Bruce and hugged him.

 

“Of course not, Bruce. You are not a monster. Jason had shot Cobblepot on live television. You just did what you thought was necessary. You are not a monster, Bruce. You had an obligation to act, so you did. I’m not happy that you hurt Jason that badly, but you did what needed to be done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I like how I'm writing Dick... let me know if he seems too out of character.


	4. Chapter 4

Jason kept on having the same dream. Bizarro flying through the quantum doorway. Jason trying to follow him. Artemis stopping him. Artemis kissing him, then throwing him out of their hideout. Bruce kicking him so hard his helmet shattered. Then he would wake up.

 

Jason could not stop thinking about the kiss. They had danced around each other for so long, the romantic tension building up to unbearable levels. Then they had kissed, and for a brief moment, Jason was happier than he could ever remember being. Karma being the bitch that it is, Jason’s happiness ended suddenly as he was thrown out of their secret headquarters, and two of the people he loved most in the world suddenly disappeared, possibly for good. No, he couldn’t think like that. He would find them. He had to find them. He had to see if Artemis had meant that kiss. He had to see if she was as head over heels for him as he was for her. He wanted to hold her close, and never let her go.

 

The problem was, even after two weeks, Jason was still bedridden. The inaction was driving him crazy. He knew that Roy, Kori, and Talia were all searching for his teammates, and he knew that they were dedicated to the task, but,  _ he _ wanted to be out there. He knew then what he had to do, even if he didn’t like it, it was for the greater good.

 

The next morning, when Talia came to eat breakfast with him, he gave voice to his idea.

 

“What would happen if we diluted the Pit’s essence? Like, if we added a few gallons of Pit water to bath water, what effect would that have?”

 

Talia smiled. “ _ Habibi _ , why do you think I look barely older than you? I add Pit essence to my bath water quite frequently, without any ill effects.”

 

Jason nodded. “I want to do it. I’m tired of lying in bed, twiddling my thumbs, while my teammates are stuck somewhere. I need to be out there, searching for them.”

 

“It will likely cause you excruciating pain as it heals you. I want you to understand that. It might also cause you to have some Lazarus surges for a short time, given your previous experience with the Pit.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Well then, let’s begin.”

 

“Wait. I thought you were exiled from Nanda Parbat. Weren’t you? I was expecting some sort of infiltration plan to be drawn up.”

 

Talia chuckled. “Jason, there is more than one Lazarus Pit. The one in Nanda Parbat is just the largest, by far. It also happens to be in the most defensible location. Nyssa and I have compounds scattered around the world as you well know. Many of them were built around the smaller Lazarus Pits, one of which happens to be here.”

 

“And where is here, exactly? I’ve never bothered to ask since I can’t really go anywhere, and I know I’m safe here, with you watching over me.”

 

Talia let out a soft gasp of delight at Jason’s trust in her. “I’m happy that I make you feel safe. After everything you have been through, you deserve to feel protected. To answer your question, we’re in Morocco, on the outskirts of Casablanca.”

 

Jason scoffed. “Of course we’re in fucking Casablanca. You never could resist the pull of luxury.” He chuckled. Next you’re going to tell me there’s a Lazarus Pit in fucking Monaco that you built around.”

 

Talia’s mouth twisted. “Don’t be ridiculous. There isn’t a Lazarus Pit in Monaco. I do own a couple residences there though.”

 

Jason began laughing, but stopped abruptly with a grimace. “Come on T, don’t make me laugh, it hurts like hell.” He said, pouting.

 

“Not for long. I’ll have someone bring in some Lazarus water now. Let’s get you to the bath.”

 

Talia supported Jason as they walked into the ornate bathroom off of his living quarters. She started the bath as he sat down on the ledge and slowly began trying to remove his shirt. Seeing him struggle, Talia quickly offered him assistance.

 

Jason looked down at his chest, more particularly, at the large Y-shaped scar that began at his shoulders, and made its way down to just above his navel.

 

“I always found it strange that the Pit never removed my autopsy scar. It got rid of all the other wounds and scars I had before my death, why not this one?”

 

Talia was pensive. “I don’t know, Jason. You know as well as I do that magic, at its core, is unbound by logic or reason. Perhaps your old friend John Constantine can give you some guidance.”

 

Their conversation was interrupted by one of the maids bringing in a large pitcher full of a liquid that glowed a fluorescent green. Talia rose from where she sat beside Jason and took the pitcher, thanking the maid.

 

“Does she know what she gave you?”

 

“She has a very vague idea. She knows that the water is quite mystical, but she does not know the details of the Pit.”

 

Talia poured the Lazarus water into the bath, and turned to leave.

 

“I’ll be waiting outside if you need anything or if the Lazarus water has any malevolent side-effects.”

 

As she exited, Jason undid the drawstring holding up his pants, leaving him only in compression shorts. He then removed the splint from his wrist, then carefully did the same to his leg. Jason slowly sank into the tub, bracing himself.

 

It did not hurt as much as he expected. There was a burning sensation, but it was similar to the feeling of pain ointment, only spread along his entire body. He relaxed, enjoying the tranquility and sense of relief the bath brought him.

 

After a few short minutes, however, Jason had to let out a sharp gasp as he felt his ribs mend themselves. He winced as his tibia was fixed, and let out a low moan as his wrist healed. Then it was over, and Jason felt calm and content for the first time in a while.

 

\--------------------

 

It took Tim and Barbara longer than expected to track down Roy Harper. To be fair, Roy wasn’t staying in one place for very long. They finally caught up to him in an apartment in Rio de Janeiro.

 

“What, here to find Jason so Daddy Bats can put him into a coma again? Or will he just kill him this time? Or even worse, does he want to send Jason to Arkham?”

 

Tim took a deep breath. “We’re not Bats anymore.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“We’re not Bats anymore” he repeated. “After what Bruce did to Jason, we just… couldn’t put up with it anymore. We cut all ties to him. I even quit my job at Wayne Enterprises.”

 

“For us,” Barbara said, motioning to Steph and Cass as well, “Jason is the closest thing to a brother we ever had.”

 

“Same for me.” Tim added. “After Damian came to Gotham, Dick focused all his attention on him. I got left to the wayside, even having Robin stripped from me and given to someone who had repeatedly tried to murder me. Until Jason came back. We bonded over being the forgotten Robins, being pushed out of the family. Even though Dick is all about being a family, Jason has been more of a brother to me than Dick ever was. Jason complimented me more than Bruce ever did. Honestly, my loyalty is to Jason.”

 

“I really only ever put up with Bruce because he meant so much to Tim and Jason.” Steph chimed in. “Jason understood me, you know? We were both from the wrong side of town. We both died at the hands of someone Batman had been fighting for years. Even though I’d never do it myself, I never had a problem with Jason killing. He was just trying to prevent people from ending up like us. That was the thing Bruce and Dick never understood: they thought that Jason lacked empathy, when empathy was actually his driving force.”

 

Cass spoke up. “Jason was… good. Always kind to me. Learned sign language just to talk to me. But… he was angry. Wanted… to help people. Wanted to save people. Was mad when he… thought he failed.”

 

Roy sighed as Koriand’r came into the room. Roy gave her a signal to stand down. “I believe you. I believe that you are looking for Jason with good intentions, to help him rather than hurt him. But I have no idea where he is. A few days after I saved him, he woke up for less than a minute. He told me to call Talia. So I did. Jason is now with Talia al Ghul, and she didn’t say where they were going.”

 

“Are you looking for him?” Tim asked.

 

“No, we’re searching for his teammates.” Kori replied.

 

“What?”

 

“Artemis the Amazon, and Bizarro, the Superman clone.”

 

“No, I know who his teammates are,” Tim responded, “but they’re missing?”

 

“Yeah. I don’t know all the details.” Roy said. “Jason wasn’t exactly lucid enough to give them to me. But yeah, they apparently disappeared into thin air just seconds before Batman started whaling on him.”

 

“Shit!”

 

“What, Tim?” Barbara asked frantically.

 

“You all saw the footage, right? Didn’t you think it’s strange that Jason never fought back? His basic instinct would be to at least defend himself, but he just lay there as Bruce beat him to a pulp. I theorized that we were missing a piece of the puzzle, something so big that Jason barely even noticed he was under attack. And the fact that his teammates vanished fits pretty well there. Jason was so distraught because his teammates were gone that he barely noticed Bruce was almost killing him.”

 

\--------------------

 

The original Dynamic Duo was back in action. Dick just couldn’t bear seeing Bruce in emotional pain. He decided that he would take a couple weeks to stay in Gotham, try to help Bruce through his inner turmoil.

 

Dick found the split in public opinion over Batman’s actions towards the Red Hood quite intriguing. The majority of the upper and middle classes were thankful that Batman had put a stop to who they believed to be a violent criminal. However, the lower classes were in an outrage. Red Hood was who protected them, and they saw Batman as the criminal. The split existed among the police as well. Since Jason made it known that he was Batman’s son, there were many cops who wished to arrest Batman for domestic violence, aggravated assault, and some even wanted him charged with attempted murder. As such, nearly half the department refused to work with Batman. Commissioner Gordon was in a tight corner. But Gordon had been working with Batman for almost 20 years, he couldn’t let one incident affect his judgement of the man. Dick empathized the difficult situation he was in, and appreciated his steadfastness. 

 

Dick was shocked when he found out that in Jason’s absence, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn had become defenders of Crime Alley. They continued to enforce the “No Bats in the Alley” rule that came into effect during the riots. While he was happy that the Alley was being looked after- in fact, once the riots had ended, the crime rate in the area dropped to the lowest it had ever been since before Bruce’s parents were killed- Dick was also sad that whatever hope Bruce had of rebuilding his relationship with Selina was now gone. The one time they came within a few blocks of Crime Alley, the three women had confronted them, and Selina told Bruce that if she ever saw him near the Alley again, she would inflict the same treatment on him that he did to Jason.

 

As his self-enforced two weeks in Gotham began drawing to a close, Dick realized that Bruce wasn’t healed enough to be on his own. He needed to find Alfred. He needed to bring Damian home.


	5. Chapter 5

Jason still couldn’t sleep. His body was healed, and he was destroying everyone Talia had spar with him in hand-to-hand combat. But his mind was restless, still replaying his kiss with Artemis on a loop. He decided to get out of bed and take a walk.

 

As he made his way along an outdoor hallway, he felt the presence of someone behind him, following him. He smiled, and without turning around, called out to them.

 

“Hello Jade.”

 

Jade Nguyen stepped out from behind a column only a few meters away from him.

 

“How did you know it was me?”

 

“There are only three people who have unrestricted access to this compound and are skilled enough at stealth to be able to get so close to me without me noticing. Talia wouldn’t sneak around following me, she would just approach and talk to me. If Sandy is somewhere around here, she wouldn’t follow me for as long as you did, she would just get close and then ambush me. So that just leaves the infamous Cheshire, ex-lover of my best friend and mother to my favorite pseudo-niece.”

 

Jade grinned. “Talia told me the crack you made about heroes fucking assassins.”

 

“Did you laugh?”

 

“I may have let out a short chuckle.”

 

Jason looped an arm around her shoulders. “I knew there was something I liked about you.”

 

Jade laughed. “Yeah, and Lian didn’t get her badassery from her dad’s side of the family, that’s for sure.”

 

“Since he’s my best friend, I should defend him, but you’re absolutely correct.”

 

Jade grew serious. “How are they? I don’t… I don’t see them as much as I would like to.”

 

“They’re doing great. Roy kind of struggles with his long-distance thing with Kori, and he’s relapsed a couple times, but he’s pulled himself together. He’s been clean for over a year now. He rebuilt his friendships with some of the Titans, so he has a good support system in place. And you’re right, Lian is a badass. Cass- you know, Sandy’s daughter- started teaching her Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. She’s already really good at leveraging herself for throws and sweeps. It won’t be long until she’s able to kick Roy’s ass in hand-to-hand.”

 

“That’s good. I just miss them, you know? I mean, it would have never worked out between Roy and I, and I’m glad Lian is growing up away from all this, but…”

 

“You miss them. And that’s okay. You’re allowed to still care about them.” Jason wrapped her in a hug.

 

After a few seconds, they broke contact and continued walking together in silence, thinking of their loved ones. 

 

After a few minutes, Jade spoke up again. “I still can’t believe Shiva hasn’t killed you yet for calling her ‘Sandy’.”

 

Jason laughed. “Honestly, I can’t either. I think she secretly likes it. I think she that I don’t see her as ‘the mighty Lady Shiva, killer of a thousand men, greatest assassin in the world’. I just see her as just another human that happens to be able to kick my ass.”

 

Jade snickered. “Yeah, never forget that she  _ can  _ kill you whenever she chooses.”

 

They parted ways outside Jason’s room. He laid back down and managed to fall asleep.

 

Breakfast the next morning was a rowdy affair. Jason and Talia usually dined alone, but this morning they were joined by Cheshire and Ubu, one of Talia’s lieutenants who’s reputation for stoicism rivaled that of Alfred’s in Jason’s eyes. Jason and Cheshire spent most of the meal trying to get Ubu to smile. They both failed.

 

After the meal had ended, Talia asked Jason to join her for her morning exercises. As they began flowing through a series of yoga positions, Talia asked Jason, “Now that you are healed, what do you want to do?”

 

Jason looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “I thought it was clear that once I feel like my martial ability has reached the level it was at after my training with the All-Caste, I would begin my search for Artemis and Bizarro.”

 

“So say you do find them. What would you do next? The vast majority of the superhero community thinks you are a criminal, and would remand you to Batman’s custody. There are very few places where you would truly be free to live without looking over your shoulder, even with your teammates.”

 

Jason let out a chuckle. “I feel like you’re trying to back me into a corner. I’ll admit, I have been thinking about that standing offer a lot recently. I just… I don’t know how Artemis and Bizarro will respond to it. I don’t know if that’s the life they would want to lead.”

 

Talia straightened out of her pose, and cupped Jason’s face in her palms.

 

“Jason, it is admirable that you are considering the reactions of your teammates in your decision. However, I believe that you need to do what  _ you _ want to do, regardless of how others may judge your decision.”

 

“I’ll need some time to think about it.”

 

Talia nodded. “Of course.”

 

Jason left and returned to his room, embroiled in his thoughts.

 

_ Do I want to join the League of Assassins? Like Talia said, most heroes think I’m a criminal, and would turn me over to Batman if they caught me. Bruce would probably toss me in Arkham and throw away the key. I’m worried that Artemis and Biz wouldn’t want to stay with me if I was part of the League, but is spending our lives on the run something they would want? No matter what, they will probably leave me. They aren’t wanted fugitives, they could go about their normal lives without me. _

 

Jason was startled from his thoughts by a knock at his door, which was still partially open. As he looked up, Cheshire poked her head through the opening.

 

“Hey, uh, Talia told me that you were trying to make a difficult decision. She didn’t give me any details, but she said that you might appreciate someone to talk to.”

 

Jason was grateful. “Yeah, come on in, close the door behind you.” Jason said with a smile.

 

“Ooh, closed door, two attractive people, what could possibly be on your mind, Jason Todd?”

 

Jason scowled at her.

 

Cheshire held her hand up as a sign of surrender. “Okay, no jokes right now. So what’s this difficult decision you’re thinking about?”

 

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but I have an open invitation to join the League of Assassins at any point in time.”

 

“That sounds pretty good so far. What’s the catch?”

 

“I don’t know how my teammates would react. I mean, Bizarro is so innocent. He’d follow me anywhere. But I don’t want him to get corrupted by this. Talia would respect him, but can you imagine what others in the League would do with a gullible Superman clone? I don’t want him involved in this. And Artemis…” Jason trailed off as he couldn’t figure out how to properly express his thoughts on her.

 

“Sounds like you have a crush, Jason.” Jade teased.

 

He blushed. “We kissed, right before she followed Bizarro through a quantum doorway. We had been dancing around each other for months, constantly teasing and flirting, and then we kissed. It was one of the happiest moments of my second life. Then Batman beat the shit out of me while I was mourning, and you know the rest from there.”

 

“You like her, and her opinion means a lot to you.”

 

“Yeah. But it’s not like I’m assured a happy life with them if I don’t join the League. Most heroes, if they see me, would contact the Justice League, who would have me arrested and turned over to Batman. There are very few places I could go that they couldn’t get to me. That means that I would be living on the run, constantly having to look over my shoulder. I don’t want that life for them either.”

 

Cheshire put her hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Jason, I say this from experience. You have to make your own choices, independent of the opinions of others. They can make their own decisions. If they want to stay with you, then they will. If they don’t want to stay with you, then they won’t. You can’t live your life at the whims of others.”

 

Jason looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you, Jade.”

 

“So?”

 

Jason nodded and let out a deep breath. “I’m going to join the League of Assassins.”

 

\--------------------

 

“Well, that was a bust.” Steph exclaimed when they returned to the hotel. “What do we do now?”

 

Tim hummed. “Roy said that Jason was with Talia. Maybe we could try tracking her?”

 

“It’s worth a shot.” Barbara replied. “But Talia knows how to avoid detection. My guess is that if we try to track her, she would lead us on a wild goose chase.”

 

“Ask Wonder Woman.”

 

They all turned to look at Cass.

 

“Wonder Woman is angry. She loves Jason. He calls her ‘mom’ sometimes. She might be… able to help.”

 

All eyes turned to Barbara, their de facto leader. “We can try that. Diana would definitely want to help us find Jason. I’m sure Donna and Cassie would help too. Jason has always gotten along with them, probably because of their relationship with Diana.”

 

Steph interrupted. “Does anyone know where she is though? She’s not on the Watchtower anymore, she’s avoiding Bruce and Clark.”

 

“We might not be able to track Talia successfully, but we should be able to find Diana.”

 

\--------------------

 

Dick knocked on the Kents’ apartment door. Clark opened it.

 

“Hey Dick! How are you?”

 

“Hi Uncle Clark. I’m good. How are you doing?”

 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Are you here to see Damian?”

 

“Yeah. Is he available?”

 

Clark smiled. “Come on in. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

 

Dick stepped into the apartment and was greeted by Lois with a hug. She asked him if he wanted anything to drink. He declined, and went into their living room. As he sat down, he saw Damian approached cautiously from another room.

 

“Grayson. What are you doing here?”

 

“Hey Dami! I just missed you, little brother!”

 

He went in for a hug, but faltered as Damian retreated half a step.

 

“Why are you here, Grayson?”

 

“I told you, I miss-”

 

“I’m not going back.”

 

Dick’s smile fell. “Why not? He misses you. All of you.”

 

“He didn’t miss Todd, in more ways than one.”

 

That one stung Dick. How was he supposed to respond to that? Every argument that came to mind, he knew Damian would be able to poke holes in it without effort. They may not have gotten along very well, but Damian could identify with Jason easier than he could anyone else in the family. After all, they both spent time with the League of Assassins. They had both killed before. And most damning of all, both of Damian’s biological parents had separately claimed Jason as an adopted son.

 

Damian spoke again hesitantly. “If you are amenable to it… I would not be opposed to living with you.”

 

Dick could work with that. “I will be spending a lot of time with Bruce in Gotham, especially since Alfred left. Will you be okay with that?”

 

“As long as you protect me from him.”

 

“I promise you Dami, I won’t let anyone hurt you while I’m around.”

 

While Damian packed up his belongings, Dick sent Bruce a text.

 

_ “Damian is coming to live with me.” _

 

The response was nearly instantaneous.

 

_ “That’s good. How is he?” _

 

_ “He’s doing well. I’ll talk to him, see if I can get him to come home.” _

 

_ “Thank you Dick. Thank you for not abandoning me.” _

 

Damian returned with his duffel packed.

 

“Alright, let’s go, bro!”


	6. Chapter 6

After Jason completed the induction rituals into the League of Assassins, he dined with Talia, Cheshire, and Ubu, as well as Nyssa al Ghul and Lady Shiva, who had come for the ceremony. Nyssa and Talia never got along very well, a result fostered by their father constantly forcing them into competition against each other. However, they had begun reconciling with each other after their father’s death, and both sisters held a soft spot in their hearts for Jason.

 

The assembled group talked about many things, including recent missions, League politics, and various scandals among the world’s elite.

 

As the meal ended, Cheshire raised her voice above the noise. 

 

“So, we have a new league member. What shall we call him?  _ Al Ghita Ahmar  _ is a mouthful, and I think Jason wants to leave that name behind.”

 

Jason spoke up. “How about  _ Al Zawmibiu _ .”

 

Cheshire let out an undignified snort, Nyssa and Lady Shiva smiled, and even Ubu’s lips twitched upwards. Talia, however, shook her head.

 

“The Zombie? Really, Jason, that’s the best you can do? Besides, that’s far too crass. You are no ordinary assassin, my son. The fact that Shiva is likely the only person present who could defeat you in combat is witness to that.”

 

Jason glowed at the praise, but still shot back, “Okay Talia, do you have a better idea?”

 

Talia smiled. “I do. I was thinking you could be  _ Al Eanqa _ .”

 

Everybody smiled at that.

 

Jason hummed. “The Phoenix. I’m good with that.”

 

Nyssa stood and raised her glass. “To  _ Al Eanqa _ !”

 

\--------------------

 

To Tim’s surprise, Diana was at her traditional residence in Paris. In retrospect, he realized he shouldn’t be. Unlike most everyone else they had tried to find, she had no reason to hide.

 

They made made their way up to Diana’s penthouse and knocked. After only a few seconds, she answered the door and graciously greeted them. She invited them in and began to make coffee for her guests. At the smell of the rich Parisian blend, Tim declared her to be his new favorite superhero, which everyone laughed at.

 

After they all accepted their mugs and had been seated, Diana got to the point.

 

“As much as I enjoy your company, I gather this is not a social visit.”

 

Barbara shook her head. “No, unfortunately it isn’t. We’re trying to find Jason. You know as well as we do that he deserves knowing that people care about him, especially after everything he’s been through. We want him to know that we are there for him, that he don’t agree with Bruce’s actions. I now know that I speak for everyone with me when I say that Bruce is not our father, even if half of us were adopted by him, but Jason is the closest to a real brother that any of us has had.”

 

Diana looked at Cass. “I already know why Barbara, Tim, and Stephanie say that, but why do you believe that, Cassandra?”

 

“Jason… tried. He learned sign language… just to talk to me. He helped me learn how to speak. He would read to me. Jason saw me as… a woman, not a soldier. He would sneak into galas and save me… from embarrassing myself. He always tried to make me feel human.”

 

“We know you don’t know where Jason is.” Barbara said. “But I would appreciate if you could help us look for him.”

 

Diana was about to respond when Steph cut her off. 

 

“Actually, maybe you shouldn’t.” Tim and Barbara shot her looks of confusion. “Look, Artemis… well, isn’t her sister, Amazon-wise, but is like a cousin. I think Jason would rather have Diana looking for Artemis than him. Really, now that I think about it, we all should be looking for Jason’s missing teammates instead of Jason.”

 

“I am inclined to agree.” Diana said. “I don’t see eye to eye with Talia al Ghul- yes, I’ve been in communication with Roy Harper as well.” she said with a smile as they looked at her in shock.

 

“As I was saying, I don’t agree with Talia al Ghul on a lot of things, but one thing we do have in common is our regard for Jason as a son. Wherever they are, I can assure you that Jason feels safe and cared for. Furthermore, I’m sure Jason would agree with you, Stephanie, even if he was in danger. He has always placed the wellbeing of others above his own.”

 

There was a short silence, then Tim spoke.

 

“So, we kind of don’t have a set base of operations anymore, now that none of us are Bats anymore. Do you know of a place where we can set up shop, away from certain prying eyes?”

 

Diana grinned. “As it so happens, I do. There’s a safehouse that I own located in the northern Apennines. Bruce doesn’t know about it. It’s one of my sanctuaries when I get distressed by the world. You should be able to operate there in peace.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Al Ghita Ahmar= The Red Hood  
> Al Zawmibiu= The Zombie  
> Al Eanqua= The Phoenix
> 
> This is a shorter chapter, but the next one is ridiculously long, and was a lot of fun to write :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter draws inspiration from "Al Ma Beath" by storybored

Jason was in Libya, taking a break from his search and doing some vigilante work. He had decided to track down a group of mercenaries that moonlighted as human traffickers. He was preparing to go undercover at a bar that they frequented when he received a call from Talia.

 

“What’s up, T?”

 

“I know you’re in the middle of an operation, but there’s an urgent situation developing that requires your presence in Star City.”

 

“What is it? Did something happen to Roy?”

 

“No, your friend is safe. I’m on a private jet to your location, I’ll give you all the details on the flight to Star City. I will be landing in Tripoli in 90 minutes.” 

 

With that, she ended the call. Jason lamented the abrupt halt to his operation, but nonetheless quickly packed his bag and made his way to the airport in Tripoli.

 

He boarded the small jet just as the crew finished refueling. As he entered the cabin, he nodded to Ubu and Cheshire, then sat down in a plush seat facing Talia.

 

“So why are you in such a rush to get me to Star City?”

 

Talia sighed. “Two factions of the League- that belonging to my sister, and that belonging to the traitor,  _ Al Sah-Her _ \- are at war, and they have chosen Star City as their battleground.”

 

“I mean, yeah, I’m all for helping out Nyssa, but why do you need me in particular? And why are we in such a rush to get there?”

 

“Oliver had negotiated for an end to the hostility by way of trial by combat. It would be Nyssa against  _ Al Sah-Her _ , but I suspect that Oliver, being wed to my sister in the eyes of the League, is planning on taking her place. However, as her sister, I also have a right to call forth a fighter on her behalf.” She looked Jason in the eyes. “You are the best sword fighter I know, given your training with both the League and with the All-Caste. Oliver may or may not be able to best  _ Al Sah-Her _ , but even if he does, he would not kill him.”

 

“And you want him dead.”

 

“Precisely. As does Nyssa.”

 

Jason nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

 

Talia smiled. “Get some rest,  _ habibi _ . It’s a long flight.”

 

Jason reclined his seat and closed his eyes.

 

\--------------------

 

Nyssa and Malcolm had met on the preordained rooftop and were about to begin their duel. Oliver was about to call out that he would take Nyssa’s place in the fight, when he saw Talia al Ghul come onto the rooftop, followed by three people in assassin garb of varying colors: one, a mountain of a man, was in the traditional black. Another, a lithe female, wore mostly green. The last assassin, an extremely well-built male, wore black with dusty red tones.

 

“Halt!” Talia called. “I have the right to put forth a fighter on my sister’s behalf.” She beckoned for the assassin in red to step forward. The female assassin begin giggling. The large man glared at her, and she stopped.

 

Oliver was confused. He knew that Nyssa and Talia rarely got along, so it was strange that Talia was interceding on her sister’s behalf. However, Nyssa smiled and nodded to Talia’s chosen champion, implying familiarity, so he decided not to intervene. He glanced at the other members of his team. Laurel, John and Felicity all appeared to be shocked by the rapid change of events.

 

Malcolm was taken aback as well. He vaguely recognized the female assassin that had laughed, and he definitely knew Ubu, but he was unfamiliar with the one Talia had chosen for him to fight. Regardless, he nodded to the man and began to remove his shirt, noting the opposition doing the same.

 

Laurel and Felicity gasped when the assassin in red removed his tunic.

 

“Oh my god.” John muttered under his breath. He turned to Oliver. “And here I thought you had a lot of scars.”

 

The assassin’s torso was riddled with scars, but two stood out in particular: a Y-shaped scar that ran from his shoulders to his navel, and a scar that ran across the base of his throat.

 

Oliver’s breath caught in his throat. He knew this young man. When he finally removed the mask covering most of his face, his suspicions were confirmed. “Jason.” he breathed.

 

John turned to him. “You know this guy?”

 

“Yeah, he-” Oliver was interrupted by the initial clash of swords. As he watched the exchange, he noticed something was off. Malcolm was a formidable swordsman, but Jason appeared to be toying with him. He was biding his time. He looked over at Talia. She was watching the fight with a smirk, as was Nyssa.

 

Suddenly, the fight changed. Jason blocked a strike with one sword, and stabbed Malcolm in the thigh with the other. He dodged Malcolm’s wild swings of rage, then put one of his swords through Malcolm’s neck. Jason pulled his sword out, and Malcolm dropped, dead.

 

Jason smirked and leaned on his sword. “Well, that was easy. Anyone else want to spar?”

 

John scoffed. “Is this guy serious?”

 

The assassin in black spoke, his voice a rumbling bass. “ _ Al Eanqa _ , you have slain Ra’s al Ghul. Do you accept the Demon’s Seat?”

 

Jason whirled towards Talia. “The fuck, T? Is Ubu serious? I’m supposed to be Ra’s al Ghul now?”

 

“Do you not want the position?”

 

Jason scoffed. “Fuck no. Of course I don’t. That’s the opposite of keeping a low profile.”

 

Nyssa spoke. “A compromise then. My sister and I will share the power. You shall be the deciding vote when we disagree.”

 

Jason chuckled. “Given how often that happens, I might as well be the sole authority. But yeah, I can live with some sort of Triumvirate.”

 

Ubu announced: “It is decided. All hail our new leaders!”

 

All the assassins present dropped to a knee and bowed their heads as a sign of fealty.

 

Jason collected his tunic and he began to leave with Talia and the other two assassins. However, Nyssa stopped them.

 

“Sister, wait! There is another matter that your… champion may be able to assist with.” She turned to glance at Oliver before turning back to her sister.

 

“Damien Darhk is in Star City.”

 

“How intriguing.” Talia said with a smirk. “I can see how his… special talents may be able to provide the assistance required to take down such a formidable adversary. Very well. We shall stay to help you defeat Damien Darhk.”

 

\--------------------

 

The Arrowcave was in an uproar.

 

“That guy just killed Malcolm, and smiled about it!” Felicity yelled. “How can you want to work with him?”

 

“Are we sure we can trust these guys?” Laurel asked. “I just want to make sure this won’t come back to haunt us.”

 

John asked Oliver the question he had posed on the roof: “Oliver, you said you knew the guy that fought Malcolm?”

 

That quieted the room.

 

Oliver sighed. “Yes, I know him. He’s good friends with Roy. His name is Jason Todd.”

 

Felicity turned to her computer and ran a search.

 

“There’s no one by that name matching his physical description anywhere.”

 

“Of course not, Blondie.” drawled a voice from the far end of the room. “Legally, I don’t exist. No prints, no record, no car or phone or even house payments. You can’t find me. I’ve been… deleted from existence, so to speak.” Jason paused as he came into the light. “Nice digs, by the way. Very reminiscent of the good old days. Except your cave is much smaller.”

 

He turned to Laurel. “I knew your sister. We got along well, something about the shadow of older siblings. It’s nice to meet you.” As he held out his hand, he added: “For what it’s worth, your sister would tell you to trust me.”

 

Laurel blushed a bit as she shook Jason’s hand. “You heard that?”

 

He smiled. “It was a fair question. I wouldn’t necessarily trust me if I had just met me.”

 

“And you know Roy?”

 

Jason grinned again. “Roy Harper is the biggest idiot I know, but he’s my best friend. He actually saved my life a couple months ago.”

 

Oliver winced as he recalled the footage. Jason noticed.

 

“It was pretty brutal, wasn’t it?”

 

“What are you guys talking about?” Felicity asked.

 

“Well, you heard of a guy called the Red Hood?  _ C’est moi _ .”

 

At that moment, Nyssa and Talia came in, followed by the two assassins that had come with Talia and Jason.

 

“Well, obviously you already know myself and Nyssa,” Talia said, “and you all just met Jason, also known as  _ Al Eanqa _ , or Phoenix. These are Ubu and Cheshire, two of my lieutenants.”

 

Ubu nodded as Cheshire waved.

 

Team Arrow introduced themselves to the assassins.

 

“I’m John Diggle, Spartan.”

 

“I’m Laurel Lance, Black Canary.”

 

“I’m Overwatch.” Oliver glared at Felicity. She sighed. “Felicity Smoak.” She said, glaring back at Oliver.

 

Jason snorted. “Sorry. Funny memory.” he apologized. “Well, now that we all know each other, let’s strategize!”

 

\--------------------

 

“... _ looked up the Red Hood. He’s a criminal! He’s connected to nearly 50 deaths just in Gotham! We can’t work with someone like him! How is he any different from Malcolm? _ ”

 

“Miss Smoak really doesn’t like you, does she?”

 

Jason chuckled. “And the feeling is mutual. I’ve heard about her, from Roy and from Barbie. Barbie’s clocked her breaking into corporate and government databases multiple times. She did some research into Felicity’s past, she isn’t the goody-gumdrop she makes herself out to be. The only reason why she isn’t locked up in some government black site is because she works with Oliver. And the way Roy talks about her… she’s arrogant, controlling, and self-righteous. Reminds me a bit too much of people in my family, and not the good ones. She’s the one who set Roy up as a patsy and forced Oliver to cut him loose.”

 

“I sense you have a plan.”

 

“Yeah. I’m going to pull Ollie’s head out of his ass.”

 

\--------------------

 

“Okay, we’re going to have three pairs in the field, one team member with one assassin.” Oliver explained. “John, you’re with Nyssa. Laurel, you’re with Cheshire. And I’m with Phoenix. Ubu and Talia will remain here with Overwatch in case anything comes up.”

 

\--------------------

 

“So, you and Felicity?” Jason asked.

 

“I get the sense that you don’t like her.”

 

“What gave you that idea?”

 

“Your little ‘funny memory’ crack.”

 

“Ah. Let’s just say Felicity was a bit of a running joke between Oracle and I. But you didn’t answer the question.”

 

Oliver sighed. “Yes, Felicity and I are together.”

 

“Oh, you’re ‘together’. Don’t tell me you’re scared of committing.”

 

“That’s rich, coming from the caped community’s most notorious womanizer.”

 

“Ok, first, that title belongs to Nightwing. He’s fucked half the original Titans, including some of the dudes. Second, death taught me to make the most of the opportunities I’m presented with. I have the reputation of being fantastic in bed, so I get a lot of opportunities.Third, stop deflecting. There’s something holding you back, isn’t there?”

 

“You’re really doing this?”

 

“I spent a lot of time with Harley. We really bonded after the Joker died. So what if I picked up her tendency to psychoanalyze? Yes, answer the damn questions.”

 

“It’s just not the right time.”

 

“Bullshit.” Jason said. “There is no right time for vigilantes to commit in their romantic life and you know that. You have to seize the moments when you see them. Since I’m well aware you know that, it leads me to believe there’s something else holding you back. Or is it someone?”

 

“What? No!”

 

“A pretty brunette, perhaps? You know, I once heard you describe Laurel Lance as the love of your life. Granted, that was a couple years ago, and you were hammered, but my point is still valid.”

 

\--------------------

 

John muted his comm and turned to Nyssa. “He knows he’s on an open line, right?”

 

Nyssa muted her comm as well and smirked. “Of course he does. This is his idea of group therapy.”

 

“Does Oliver know he’s on an open line?”

 

Nyssa smirked. “I highly doubt it, and again, that is Jason’s idea of group therapy.”

 

\--------------------

 

Laurel was speechless. Cheshire just grinned.

 

\--------------------

 

“Come on, Ollie, talk to me!” Jason cajoled. “Do you still have feelings for Laurel?”

 

“Why are you doing this? What do you have against Felicity?”

 

Jason’s voice dropped dangerously low. “Because she’s toxic. She’s arrogant, controlling, and self-righteous. She lectures you for going behind her back, then turns around and does the same thing to you. Trust me, according to Oracle’s records, Felicity has broken twice as many laws as you have. She reminds me of my so-called family, one person in particular. Now, Felicity isn’t going to send you into an eight-day coma, but can you imagine what she could do if she decides that she doesn’t agree with your decisions anymore?”

 

Oliver was silent, so Jason continued. “Mission-wise, you don’t need her. Or at least you didn’t. You brought her in out of convenience. You were a skilled enough hacker, but you wanted someone better. That’s fine, but you let your technical skills erode. You deluded yourself into relying on her. You used to be better than this. Do you think that if you were tossed back onto Lian Yu right now, you could survive? I personally doubt it. Your reliance has made you weak.”

 

“What do you want me to say?”

 

Jason shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind hearing ‘Jason, you’re the best’, or ‘you’re so smart Jason’, or even ‘thank you, Jason, I’ll definitely consider your wonderful advice’.” He laughed. “In any case, let’s return to your romantic life.”

 

\--------------------

 

Felicity was stunned into silence. She was outraged that this criminal was talking about her like this, but she just couldn’t translate it into words.

 

\---------------------

 

“What’s keeping you away from… actually, let’s start with why you like Felicity.”

 

“Well, she...uh… she brings out the good in me.”

 

“Wow Oliver, I’m impressed. It only took you 10 seconds to think of an answer that had nothing to do with how she drools over you and basically throws herself at you.”

 

“You don’t know her, you just met her today.”

 

“Ah, but you forget, I spent over a year having bitch sessions with Roy about our respective former allies. Felicity was a frequent topic for bitching. Also, I knew how to read body language long before I met Batman. Every time you walk into the room she’s in… the way she adjusts her posture suggests her pussy is salivating at the sight of your body.”

 

“Okay, that was kind of explicit.”

 

Jason shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any less true. Can you come up with any more reasons?”

 

Oliver was thinking frantically, but remained silent.

 

“Now that we have that cleared up,” Jason continued after a few seconds, “Why are you not with the self-professed love of your life?”

 

“I don’t… I mean, it was just-”

 

“Ollie, I swear if you fucking say ‘it was never the right time’, I will knock you into next Tuesday.”

 

“I was scared.” Oliver blurted after a moment. “I was scared of how I felt about Laurel. I loved her- god, I love her, but I was scared that I would hurt her. I didn’t want to hurt her. I just want her to be happy.”

 

“Did it ever cross your mind that being with you might make her happy?”

 

Oliver was silent.

 

“Well, at least you admitted that you love Laurel. The next step is telling her in person. For now, let’s kick some ass.”

 

Jason grappled off the roof, followed by Oliver, who was still processing what had happened.

 

\--------------------

 

Time was frozen for the other teams- or at least, the members of Team Arrow.

 

Laurel couldn’t stop thinking about what Oliver had said.  _ He said he loves me _ . She had slowly been falling back in love with him for the past few years, after Slade had revealed to her that Oliver was the Arrow. Even before that, even when she found out that he had taken Sara with him on their ill-fated voyage, she had never really stopped loving him. To hear Oliver admit that he still loved her…

 

She was startled from her thoughts by Cheshire nudging her.

 

“It’s showtime, pretty bird.”

 

John had some questions. He wondered who this guy was, to be giving Oliver relationship advice. He recognized a lot of the names Jason had mentioned. Obviously he knew Roy. The name ‘Harley’ was familiar to him, he was pretty sure he’d heard it associated with Waller’s task force. Nightwing and Batman though… they were legends. And Jason claimed to know them personally, maybe even have worked with them. He needed to look more into ‘the Red Hood’.

 

As for what Jason said about Felicity… John had always thought that Felicity helped Oliver stay in touch with his humanity. But as he thought about it, so did Laurel, Thea, and John himself. And Jason did bring up some valid points: Felicity did display toxic behaviors at times. He questioned whether the talents Felicity brought to the team made those behaviors excusable.

 

He was shook out of his reverie by Nyssa tapping his shoulder.

 

“Mr. Diggle, as sure as I am that Phoenix could take on everyone in that building by himself, we are here so he doesn’t have to.”

 

They grappled off their vantage points as well to crash into Damien Darhk’s staging ground.

 

Felicity couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. She remained still, even as all three teams leapt from their vantage points into the building they were infiltrating.

 

Talia had had enough of her inaction. “Ubu, please assume operational oversight, since Miss Smoak appears incapable.”

 

Ubu carefully moved Felicity’s wheelchair, then turned to the monitors and deftly manipulated the computer to bring up thermal imaging of the building his compatriots had entered. He called out instructions to all teams, ensuring maximum efficiency during the operation.

 

\--------------------

 

Jason and Oliver waded through the Ghosts, en route to Darhk’s command suite. While Oliver opted for non-fatal shots, Jason had no issue with killing everyone they came across.

 

“Oliver, if one of these motherfuckers pops up and shoots me from behind, I will fucking haunt you from the afterlife.”

 

“Less talking, more fighting.”

 

“That was always my line to Nightwing, although I understand where he’s coming from. It’s boring fighting people who have no chance of taking you out. Then again, he talked even when sparring with Black Bat, so that’s obviously not his excuse.”

 

They finally made it to the door. 

 

“Surprise, motherfucker!” Jason called out as he kicked it in.

 

Seconds later, Nyssa and John arrived through the windows, and Laurel and Cheshire came through the door behind Oliver and Jason.

 

“Ah, Mr. Queen. I see you brought some new friends. Members of the League of Assassins, at that. Nyssa, my darling, good to see you.”

 

Nyssa sneered at him, then leapt to attack. However, Darhk held up a hand, and she was stopped in mid-air.

 

“I’m sorry, were you trying to kill me?”

 

“Magic.” Jason murmured. “Interesting. So that’s what Nyssa meant.”

 

Oliver fired an arrow at Damien, trying to distract him, but he stopped it in mid-air as well.

 

“This is amusing” Darhk exclaimed. “You can’t get near me. You can’t hurt me.”

 

Jason materialized the All-Blades. He lunged at Darhk. “Abracadabra this, bitch!”

 

Darhk’s eyes grew wide with fear. “No. It can’t be.”

 

Jason grinned as he stabbed Darhk through the gut. “Yes. It is.”

 

He yanked the sword out, and Damien Darhk fell to the ground, gasping his last few breaths.

 

Jason knelt down next to him. “Everyone can get hurt with the right weapon. Talk shit, get hit.”

 

Jason stood back up and the All-Blades disappeared. “Well, that was fun. I’m craving tacos. Anyone want to come with me?”

 

“I’m in!” Cheshire replied.

 

“Hold up.” John said. “You just killed an assassin with mystical powers, who led a massive crime syndicate, and you’re thinking about tacos?”

 

Jason laughed. “You didn’t do your research, did you? Or more likely, you let Felicity do the research for you, and she never shared the more important bits. If the research was properly done and disseminated, you would know that I controlled over 60 percent of organized crime in Gotham at the age of 19. That’s not hard to find out, although there’s still debate on how old I was when I began my hostile takeover. And if you had talked to Roy, you’d know that he and I, with the help of an alien princess, defeated a group of immortal ninjas called the Untitled. So yeah, been there, done that. You in for tacos?”

 

Laurel smiled. “I’ll go with you.”

 

“Excellent! A Star City native to show us the best spots in town!”

 

“Ollie? Nyssa? Johnny boy? You guys coming?”

 

“Oh come on, come with us!” Cheshire cajoled. “It will be awesome!”

 

They shook their heads in resignation and walked out of the building with them.

 

\--------------------

 

As they walked back to the Foundry, Jason pulled Oliver aside.

 

“Remember what we talked about. You need to tell Laurel that you still care about her. The sooner the better. You never know when the people you care about are going to leave you, whether by choice or not.”

 

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “I’ll make you a deal. If I tell you my story, you have to have a heart-to-heart with Laurel before we get back to your base.  _ Capice _ ?”

 

Oliver nodded.

 

Jason took a deep breath and began. “One of my teammates. Artemis. She’s an Amazon from Bana-Mighdall, in Qarac. We had been dancing around each other for months, constantly teasing and flirting. A couple months ago, as you know, my life got complicated, to say the least. Amidst the whole shooting Ozzie then getting beaten by Daddy Bat, our headquarters suffered some technical issues. We had a hideout floating over Gotham, hidden with a cloaking device. The night of the incident, it started falling towards the city. There was nothing we could do to fix it. But we had quantum doorways in our hideout. Bizarro, my other teammate, grabbed part of the electrical core of the structure and began pulling it through the quantum doorway, destination unknown. I tried following, but Artemis stopped me. She said she would go. I tried arguing, but she kissed me.” 

 

Jason let out a tired laugh. “That shut me up. Right after she broke the kiss, she threw me out of the hideout, onto a rooftop. I watched as she vanished into thin air. As I lay there mourning my loss, Batman came and… yeah.”

 

He looked at Oliver. “Talk to Laurel. Let her know you care, before it’s too late.”

 

Jason lagged behind as Oliver sped up and got Laurel’s attention. He followed behind them, staying out of hearing range out of respect. He saw Laurel laugh, and Oliver glance back at him. Jason winked, knowing Laurel had probably mentioned the ‘open comms line’ part. Laurel and Oliver continued talking for a few minutes, then she kissed him on the cheek, and they held hands the rest of the way back. Jason had to restrain himself from pumping his fist.

 

Jason Todd, matchmaker. Maybe he should put that on his resume, between crime lord and assassin. Or maybe not.

 

\--------------------

 

Felicity wanted to rage against Jason Todd and all he had done in the last couple hours, but she knew that it wouldn’t be wise to engage in such behavior when the only two people present with her were a pair of scary assassins.

 

However, when Oliver returned to the bunker holding hands with Laurel, she lost her cool.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Felicity-”

 

“No! Why are you taking the advice of a murderer? He doesn’t even know you! He doesn’t know me! I thought you loved me Oliver!” She yelled with tears in her eyes.

 

“I loved the idea of you, Felicity, just as you loved the idea of me that you built up inside your head. It was something… something I realized was  _ off _ , but just couldn’t figure out, until Jason talked to me. You always thought of me as some sort of white knight, you thought I could be like Barry, or Superman. But I’m not. I am not them. Likewise, I thought of you as someone who could keep me grounded in my humanity, someone to remind me of who I am. But you keep on trying to force me to become someone I’m not. I am not a white knight. I am a survivor, and always will be.”

 

Oliver paused for a second, and Jason took the opportunity to speak up.

 

“I fail to see how me being an alleged murderer, or me being murdered, for that matter, have anything to do with the quality of my advice. Also. you’re conveniently forgetting that Ollie has a body count as well. Then again, you have a hard time listening to him also, don’t you?”

 

While Diggle and Laurel stared at Jason in shock when he revealed that he had been murdered, Oliver glared at Jason for his tone towards Felicity.

 

But Oliver sighed, and looked back towards Felicity. “That’s also something I want to address, to all of you. You seem to have issues following my orders, disrespecting my authority. That ends now. If any of you have a problem with that… well, you can see yourself out.”

 

After a moment, Felicity wheeled herself over to the lift.

 

“I just can’t anymore. If these are the people you are willing to work with, I refuse to associate myself with this.”

 

Oliver nodded. “Thank you for your honesty.”

 

“Out of respect for my ex, I will personally hunt you down if you divulge Oliver’s mask.” Cheshire added in a cheerful tone.

 

“Your ex?” Laurel inquired.

 

“Yeah, I, uh, slept with Roy Harper a few times. We have a kid together. Not like we were dating, but I guess that still makes him my ex-lover at least.”

 

As the lift carried Felicity out of the bunker, Talia turned to Oliver.

 

“I have to inform you of a grave error on my part. Shortly after the death of my father, a man came to me, desiring revenge for his father's death. He named you as his murderer. In my grief and anger, I agreed to give him instruction. I do not know when he will strike, only that his actions will be swift, certain, and severe. I will send you my file on him, so that you may recognize him when he comes. If you need our assistance in neutralizing him, do not hesitate to reach out. Until then, farewell, Oliver Queen.”

 

As the assassins exited, Jason and Cheshire called out their farewells.

 

“Bye, it was nice meeting you! Hope I don’t have to kill any of you!”

 

“Yeah, what she said. Later, losers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only have two more chapters completely written right now, but I have a free weekend to brainstorm and write more.
> 
> After reading "Al Ma Beath", I began thinking of the brilliant potential Jason has to destroy all types of unnecessary drama in the Arrowverse due to the aversion to killing many characters possess (or are guilted into *cough* Oliver *cough*). I thought it would be fun to explore that as a little side plot in this fic.
> 
> However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to bring Jason into contact with Barry Allen during the events of The Flash s2e18. If you guys could give me suggestions, it would really help my writing process :)
> 
> Finally, shoutout to Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen and his fics for giving me words to help me describe why I find Olicity so disturbing, and I didn't even address all the issues I have with it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, I've been under a lot of stress at work, and now I'm in the middle of preparing to move halfway across the US.
> 
> But that's enough about me, enjoy this filler chapter (the next long chapter will be 10)

They were working hard, but could get nowhere in their search.

 

“They must be in an alternate dimension” Tim sighed wearily. “There’s no sign of them still being on Earth.”

 

“Is it possible that they’re still in this dimension, just on a different planet?” Steph queried.

 

“I guess it’s possible.” Barbara replied. “We could try reaching out to the Green Lanterns, but I don’t know if we can contact them, and have them help us without tipping off Batman.”

 

Tim and Steph looked at each other and grinned. “Kyle Rayner!” they shouted in unison.

 

“Kyle and Jason have always been tight.” Tim explained. “He would definitely be willing to go behind Bruce’s back to help us.”

 

Steph sighed. “I just feel like we’re playing with fire. Eventually Bruce is going to notice that someone has been tracking down capes. He will either realize it’s us, or he’ll think it’s a villain trying to take out heroes. Either way, it ends badly for us.”

 

Tim smirked and pulled out a phone. “Luckily for us, I have a way to contact Jason’s off-world contacts without setting off potential alarms.”

 

“Where did you get that, and who all can it contact?”

 

“Well, I stole it from one of Jason’s safehouses right before we left Gotham. As for who it can contact… I’m not too sure, besides Kyle and Kori.”

 

Tim turned on the communicator and called Kyle Rayner.

 

\--------------------

  
  


Damian enjoyed spending time with Grayson. It felt natural, safe even, patrolling with him. After all, he was Batman to Damian’s Robin long before his father was. Although Damian had grown accustomed to fighting alongside a more grounded fighter, he quickly re-mastered the fighting style he had employed when he had first become Robin, fighting alongside a partner that preferred aerial maneuvers.

 

Despite that though, something felt… off. When he had voiced his concerns about something not feeling right to Grayson however, he got a distant look in his eyes and agreed with Damian. And despite Damian’s best efforts, Grayson would not elaborate on what that feeling may mean.

 

It took Damian a couple weeks to realize that as much as he enjoyed Grayson’s company, he actually missed the rest of the family. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he even missed Drake and Brown. He also realized that was what Grayson was experiencing as well, with emphasis on a certain member. He knew that Grayson and Gordon were… close, even romantically so at certain points in their relationship.

 

In addition, the fact that his father seemed to be giving him and Grayson their space helped calm Damian’s concerns about the man. He made the decision to give him a second chance, but slowly. 

 

“Grayson?”

 

“What’s up Dami?”

 

“I would like to work with Father in Gotham. I want to give him a chance to explain himself, maybe redeem himself.”

 

Dick smiled. “Sure, little bro. I’ll let him know we’re coming.”

 

He sent Bruce a quick text. 

 

_ Dami and I coming 2 Gotham. _

 

Once again, Bruce replied promptly.

 

_ Thank you for letting me know. _

 

Dick replied with a smile emoji, and began packing for an extended weekend in Gotham.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news is that I have a rough outline of how I want to close this out.  
> The bad news is that I still have to write it.  
> The ugly news is that I've been struggling with writer's block for over a month now.

Jason grunted as he hit the mat for the fifth time in as many minutes.

 

“You must be quicker on your feet! Your superior bulk will not always be an advantage!” Lady Shiva told him as she stood over him. “You are far too emotional right now. You must control your emotions if you hope to best me.”

 

Jason slowly got to his feet and went over to his water bottle to take a drink. He knew exactly why he was so emotional. No matter what he tried, he could shake the image he saw last night in his dreams: finding Artemis and Bizarro, only for them to be dead. 

 

He shook his head as he realized he was going about it all wrong. Instead of clearing his mind of Artemis and Bizarro, he relished in thoughts of them. Instead of focusing his thoughts on finding them, he focused his mind on memories: him and Bizarro watching the sunset, the vision Artemis was in the black dress she wore during their “mostly bogus” date, the three of them cuddling on the sofa after a mission, moments where Jason dared to think he could get used to the domesticity of it all. When he could close his eyes and pretend that they were a family, Bizarro as his son, and Artemis as his wife. With a grin, he stepped back onto the mat. He was ready now.

 

He met each of Lady Shiva’s strikes as they came, countering with a few of his own and driving her back a few steps. Their match quickly picked up in tempo, strikes and blocks being used instinctively, muscle memory driving them. As the minutes accumulated, neither showed any sign of weakness or surrender. They fought on, eventually drawing a modest crowd. Finally, as both Jason’s and Lady Shiva’s strikes began to grow sloppy, Talia interceded in the fight and called it a draw, for the safety of both participants.

 

“57 minutes.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“57 minutes. That’s how long you were sparring against Lady Shiva before I called the fight.”

 

“Huh. Well, shit.”

 

\--------------------

 

Kyle had given them an address in Brooklyn to meet him at. Tim and Barbara were extremely confused when they realized they were waiting outside Donna Troy’s apartment building. Steph joined them in confusion when it was Donna and not Kyle who greeted them and let them into the building. Tim and Barbara noticed a shiny silver band with three small emeralds in it on Donna’s left ring finger.

 

“You and Kyle are engaged?” Tim queried.

 

Donna nodded. “For a couple months now. We kept it pretty quiet. Only Jason, Roy, Kori, Cassie and Diana know, seeing as they’re part of the wedding.”

 

“I didn’t know you and Jason were that close.” Barbara remarked.

 

Donna smirked. “Another thing we kept pretty close to the chest.”

 

They all entered the apartment and were greeted by Kyle Rayner.

 

“Let me guess, you’re looking for Jason, want to form some sort of Jason Todd Protection Squad, am I right?”

 

“We’re actually trying to help track down Artemis and Bizarro.” Tim replied.

 

“Although… ‘Jason Todd Protection Squad’... I like the sound of that.” Steph said.

 

“We think that they might be on another planet somewhere. Do you think you can help us search? Obviously, our extraterrestrial capabilities are limited.” Barbara continued from where Tim left off, ignoring Stephanie’s outburst.

 

Kyle nodded. “I’ve already searched most of the nearby planets, but I’ll start extending my range, and seeing if I can get some of my buddies to help search on the down low as well.”

 

Donna turned to Barbara. “Just a heads up, Dick… it looks like he’s rug-sweeping again. Even worse, Damian has gone to live with him.” She sighed. “I used to think Dick was… I don’t even know anymore. He’s changed, and not for the better. I don’t know if I can be friends with him anymore. I know if it comes down to Dick or Jason, I’m choosing Jason.” 

 

Stephanie smirked. “Does this mean you’re part of the Jason Todd Protection Squad?” She and Kyle fist-bumped.

 

Donna shook her head and replied, “I know that Diana is keeping an eye on Bruce, making sure he doesn’t stray too far from Gotham without pre-existing Wayne Enterprises business. Keep that transponder close, we’ll contact you if he leaves Gotham without reason.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Writer's block is a bitch, not to mention moving across the country.
> 
> Quotes in italics are taken from RHATO 25. All other italics are thoughts, or non-english words.

Jason made sure to keep a careful eye on the sparse amount of known Black Mercy circulating the market after he encountered it at the Fortress of Solitude on Superman’s birthday. Finding out that some had made its way to National City, where Kara Zor-El had taken up residence, concerned him.

 

When he informed Talia of his decision to travel to National City, she expressed concern for him travelling alone on American soil, so close to many members of the Justice League. She asked him to take at least one other assassin along with him. Cheshire immediately volunteered. They packed and departed.

 

They made small talk and joked around all the way to their terminal and onto the plane, playing into their covers as cousins. Once they were on the plane waiting for takeoff though, Jason grew serious.

 

“You were pretty quick to volunteer for this, Jade. Why?”

 

Jade pretended to not have been listening. “Hm?”

 

Jason shot her a look.

 

Jade sighed. “I… I was hoping that maybe… once we’re done in National City, we could maybe stop and see Lian. It doesn’t have to be for long, I just want to see her face.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Just like that?”

 

“I’m not going to lie, I miss her too. Not trying to rub it in or anything, but I did help raise Lian for a couple years.”

 

Jade nodded. “Don’t worry, I get it. We all make choices in our lives, and good or bad, we have to live with them. My choices mean I don’t get to see my daughter very often. I made my peace with that a long time ago.”

 

With that, she laid back and closed her eyes, just as the plane started taxiing to the runway.

 

\--------------------

 

When they arrived in National City, the Black Mercy was already in use. Kara was suffering from the effects. 

 

It took Jason and Cheshire several hours to track down Kara’s location, finally finding her at the DEO.

 

When they entered the building, Jason felt an invasive, yet familiar presence enter his mind.

 

_ J’onn? What the hell? _

 

_ Jason? What are you doing here? _

 

_ Following up on a lead. Black Mercy. _

 

_ Ah. I had forgotten your familiarity with the plant. _

 

_ It was Kara, right? How is she? _

 

_ She is stable, however, our efforts at removing the plant have been futile thus far. _

 

_ I’m on my way to the room. I might have a way to deal with it. _

 

J’onn sent an acknowledgement over the link, then withdrew. Jason turned to notice Cheshire watching him with a worried expression on her face. He raised an eyebrow.

 

“You kind of zoned out there for a few seconds.”

 

“Oh. The Martian Manhunter is in the room with Supergirl. He attacked me mentally, but ceased when we recognized each other’s mind. We had a quick mental conversation.”

 

Cheshire tensed at the mention of the Justice League founder.

 

“Don’t worry. If he planned on turning me in, I wouldn’t be able to walk or talk.”

 

“Yeah, like that’s reassuring.” She drawled sarcastically.

 

But she followed him as they moved onwards towards their destination.

 

When they entered the room, Jason was surprised at how many people were gathered around Kara’s bed. J’onn was there, as well as James Olsen, a woman that he recognized as Kara’s adoptive sister, and a man he did not know. J’onn, having already conversed mentally with Jason, nodded at him in acknowledgment. James narrowed his eyes at Jason, but followed J’onn’s lead. The other two startled at the sight of the two figures walking in with various noticeable weapons, but they also stood down. However, Jason noticed that Alex, Kara’s sister, remained tense and ready to act.

 

As Jason moved closer to Kara and the Black Mercy, his suspicion was proven correct: he felt a familiar humming inside his head as the All-Blades yearned to be unleashed upon a malevolent being. He allowed them to materialize, earning startled yelps from the occupants of the room, save Cheshire and J’onn.

 

He quickly began severing the tentacles of the plant, but he wasn’t fast enough. It let off an unearthly shriek, and attached itself to Jason. As his vision dimmed, he noticed Kara beginning to stir, and Cheshire running to his side. Then everything went dark.

 

\--------------------

 

Jason woke up when he heard a groan, and felt something shift against his back. He rolled over and blinked blearily at his wife.

 

“Ugh, time to get up already?”

 

Artemis smacked him lightly with her pillow. “I don’t know why you’re complaining, you’re the one with the flexible schedule. I’m the one who has to meet with Diana right after dropping off the girls. Just remember that you have that meeting about the new wing for Dr. Thompkins’ clinic at 1, so you won’t be able to nap all day.”

 

“I’m sure Tim will text me reminders every hour, on the hour, once he wakes up.”

 

“Are Roy and Kori still able to watch AJ while you’re in the meeting?”

 

“Yeah, Kori will fly by around noon to pick him up.” Jason snuggled closer to Artemis. “Five years later, and I still can’t believe I’m married to you. It’s like all my best dreams come true.”

 

A smile touched Artemis’ lips. “As much as I would love to play out some of those… dreams… of yours, I imagine we only have a couple minutes until Catherine and Dee come bursting in, complaining about how we’re going to make them late for their first day of school.”

 

Jason smirked. “And that would be a travesty. No child of mine will be late for school if I can help it.” He rolled out of bed and tossed on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Just as he opened the door, he was run into full force by one of his daughters and tackled to the floor.

 

“Diana Leslie Todd, explain yourself.”

 

“We want waffles.” Dee said simply.

 

“Well, princess, if you didn’t tackle me, I’d be in the kitchen already.”

 

Dee got up and ran towards the kitchen shouting, “Cat! Biz! Daddy’s making waffles for us!”

 

Jason groaned and stretched as he got up. “This is your fault.” He said to Artemis. “Getting run into by a 5-year old shouldn’t feel like getting hit by a bus.”

 

Artemis chuckled and kissed him. “It’s also your fault for impregnating me. It took both of us to produce three of our four wonderful kids.”

 

Jason laughed. “Yeah, neither of us had anything to do with Biz’s creation, but we love him anyway.”

 

Artemis kissed him again. “Now, go make waffles. I wouldn’t mind some either.” She said with a mischievous smirk.

 

Jason groaned. “You have obviously been spending too much time with Steph.”

 

\--------------------

 

Cheshire looked at J’onn. “What happened? Is he alright?”

 

J’onn looked sorrowful. “He is living out his heart’s deepest desire. However, he is trapped in that fantasy, and the plant is slowly sapping his life force.”

 

“Why can’t we just… kill it or something?”

 

“If we tried to kill the plant while it was attached to a host, the result would be the host dying as well.”

 

“Oh.” Cheshire’s voice sounded small to her ears. She had grown to care about Jason Todd. He was her closest friend and her confidant within the League. And he meant so much to Roy and Lian…  _ oh god, we were supposed to see them after this mission. I can’t just show up and tell them that Jason is dead. And Lady Talia… how would she react to Jason dying again? I can’t let him die here. _

 

\--------------------

 

Jason was on his way to his meeting at Drake Industries, in the building that was once known as Wayne Tower. He mused over how everything changed so suddenly five years ago. After Selina had dumped Bruce at the altar, he had grown reckless and violent as Batman. One night during a joint operation between Batman and the Red Hood against Penguin, Batman had continued beating on Penguin past the point of unconsciousness. When Jason had gone to pull him off, Bruce had turned and began brutally attacking Jason. Jason was too shocked to defend himself until it was too late, and was nearly dead when the rest of the Outlaws showed up. Donna and Artemis pulled Bruce off of Jason while Bizarro and Roy got him to safety. Kyle used his ring to restrain Batman during transit to the Watchtower.

 

Batman was removed from the Justice League, and was being kept in custody on the Watchtower. The rest of the family banded around Jason and supported him. They talked him into making a public appearance shortly after he was discharged from the hospital, but still in a wheelchair due to the severe injuries he had sustained. Dick took charge of publicity, and told everyone that Bruce had done this to Jason. He told the public that Bruce had been involuntary enrolled into an inpatient anger management facility out of state. Tim took complete control over Wayne Enterprises, but rebranded into Drake Industries to distance it from Bruce. When Talia had come to Jason’s side after the incident, Jason facilitated a reunion between her and Damian, who reconnected as a result. He and Damian were now very close as a result too.

 

His musings were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He checked the caller ID, then answered.

 

“Hey mom.”

 

He could feel Talia grin on the other end. “Hello  _ habibi _ . Are you well?”

 

“I’m doing fine. Today was Cat and Dee’s first day of school. They were so excited. I’m afraid kindergarten will be a let down for them though. Between you, me, and Diana, I think we have those girls better prepared for a Master’s program than elementary school.”

 

“You should think about homeschooling. I know my granddaughters are far more excited for learning than the social aspects of the education system.”

 

“First, do you know how weird it is to hear you admit to being a grandmother? You still look 30 for fuck sake. Second, homeschooling is something we considered, especially since they’re already showing Amazonian physical attributes. We ended up deciding to try conventional school, but the idea is still on the backburner. Anyway, what’s up?”

 

“I wished to inform you that Damian and I will be coming to Gotham in two weeks. I miss you, and I know Damian misses sparring with you.”

 

Jason chuckled. “He’s the Demon’s Head, and he wants to spar with me of all people. I’m honored, but don’t tell him I said that.”

 

Talia let loose a rare genuine laugh. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

 

“I need to end the call, I’m about to step into a meeting. I love you mom.”

 

“I love you too,  _ habibi _ .”

 

\--------------------

 

Kara groaned as she sat up. “What happened?”

 

James spoke first. “You were attacked by Black Mercy.”

 

“ I remember hearing about that stuff from Clark. How did you guys get it off?”

 

James, Alex and Winn looked around guiltily, before Alex responded, “We didn’t. He did.” She pointed at a prone figure on the floor, being watched over by J’onn and a woman armed with at least a dozen knives.

 

Kara slowly got up and walked over to them. She gasped when she saw who had removed the Black Mercy, at the cost of bringing it upon himself.

 

“Jason?”

 

\--------------------

 

The meeting with Drake Industries was a resounding success, as the board had accepted the budget for the new wing with very little argument. As the last few board members made their way out of the conference room, Jason went over to stand with Tim next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. He was suddenly rocked with a memory as he looked out over the skyline.

 

_ “I was a fool for ever believing in you.” _

 

_ “I’ve never seen you hit Joker that hard.” _

 

Jason staggered as the scene flashed before his mind’s eye.  _ I remember that night… but that’s not how it happened. _ His stumble caught the attention of Tim.

 

“Jason! Are you alright?”

 

“Just fine, Tim. A little woozy, that’s all.”  _ But what was that? Were those memories? Maybe from an alternate timeline? _

 

\--------------------

 

“His heart rate is erratic. He went from 87 to 49 bpm and back again in less than 30 seconds. That should probably be lethal, but he’s still breathing.”

 

“Jason is the consummate survivor. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.” Cheshire said, trying to convince herself more than the others in the room.

 

Just then, Jason started convulsing wildly. Kara struggled to completely hold him down, while the other deliberated on whether it would be safe to inject him with a sedative.

 

Their frenzied arguments were interrupted by a chilling voice.

 

“Hello, niece. I see you received my present.”

 

\--------------------

 

Jason picked his daughters up from school, driving away the worry that had been plaguing him for the past few hours.

 

“How was the first day of school?”

 

“Boring. We didn’t even learn!”

 

“Cat almost gave the teacher a heart attack when she told her  _ Sense and Sensibility _ was her favorite book.”

 

Jason chuckled. “I would have loved to see that. Did the teacher ask you what your favorite book is, Dee?”

 

“No. I wanted her to, though. I wanted to know if  _ Crime and Punishment _ would get a bigger reaction.”

 

Jason shot her a look through the rearview. “I haven’t read that one to you yet.”

 

Diana Todd smirked. “Ms. Smith wouldn’t know that.”

 

Jason burst out laughing.

 

When they arrived at home, Artemis came out to greet them. As she kissed Jason, he was hit with another vision.

 

_ “Finally. So what did you think, Princess?” _

 

_ “It was okay. For a boy. And don’t ever call me Princess.” _

 

_ “Noooooo! Artemis!” _

 

Artemis caught him as he fell, just before he hit his knees.

 

“Jason? Are you alright?”

 

Jason looked at his girls. Reading the unspoken message, Artemis herded everyone inside, then she and her husband went to their room.

 

“Well?”

 

“I’ve been having these... visions. Of past events, but they didn’t play out right. The first happened after the meeting with Drake’s board. I saw Bruce… he broke my helmet with a single kick, then accused me of killing Cobblepot.”

 

Artemis’ eyebrows rose.

 

“He said he was a fool for ever believing in me.” Jason scoffed. “I was a fool for ever believing in him too.”

 

Artemis hugged him. “And what about just now?”

 

“Our first kiss, done under duress. Remember our old floating hideout? Imagine what would have happened if Roy and Kyle hadn’t helped fix it when B was starting to come down off his kryptonite high.”

 

Artemis gasped.

 

“It was heading full speed toward downtown. Bizarro decided to rip out one of the main support wires and carry it through the quantum doorway. You decided to follow, and stop me from doing the same. We argued. You kissed me. You threw me out of the hideout, onto a rooftop, before following B. You were gone before I could do anything.”

 

Artemis kissed her husband’s forehead softly. “I promise I won’t go through any quantum doorways any time soon.”

 

Jason returned the kiss before saying, “I don’t know, it just felt so real.”

 

All of a sudden, Jason experienced another vision.

 

_ Jason saw Kara lying on an operating table, Black Mercy attached to her chest. He could feel the All-Blades itching for release. As he cut into the parasitic plant, it leaped off Kara and onto him, and his vision quickly faded to black. _

 

“GOD MOTHERFUCKING DAMMIT!”

 

\--------------------

 

“I was hoping the Black Mercy would attack you, but… maybe this way is so much better. After all, now you will fall by my hand.”

 

Non stepped into the room, a place he never should have been able to find. He was followed by his wife, who looked somewhat irritated.

 

Kara was pissed. “You sent this to me? How dare you!” She flew at Non to attack him. He defended and countered. Astra, following her husband lead, attacked J’onn, who was assisted by Alex. All in the meanwhile, Jason lay convulsing in the corner, being watched over by Jade.

 

\--------------------

 

Jason stood and began pacing. Artemis stood as well to confront him.

 

“So what now? You’re just going to leave?”

 

“This isn’t real!”

 

Artemis was angry. “And so you’re just going to leave? What about your daughters? What about me? Are you just going to abandon us?”

 

Jason looked heartbroken. “God, if I could stay… if I could ignore my conscience and stay… this is what I’ve always wanted.” Jason began tearing up. “I love you, Artemis. I will find you, and I will do everything in my power to make this dream a reality.”

 

Artemis kissed him, a long, rage-filled kiss. Jason closed his eyes as his surroundings began to blur.

 

\--------------------

 

Jason awoke to a loud screech emanating from just above his sternum. The Black Mercy withdrew from Jason, and prepared to hunt for a new victim. J’onn saw this, and took a calculated risk: he kicked Astra square in the chest, sending her flying to land right next to Jason, who had gone hereto unnoticed to the Kryptonian intruders. The Black Mercy leapt onto Astra, who promptly dropped out of the fight.

 

Jason was startled out of his reverie that awaking from the Black Mercy had sent him into by the sound of a body crashing into a wall. He looked up to see a male Kryptonian advancing on Kara, who was lying on the floor, and in obvious pain. He stood, knowing that his training would overcome his current state of physical exhaustion. As he silently stalked his way toward the attacker, he noticed Alex doing the same, with a look of fear and determination in her eyes. She was carrying a sword that appeared to be made of Kryptonite.

 

Jason quickly intercepted her and took the sword. He knew that it would be best for everyone involved if he were the one to wield the blade. As Non reached down and picked up Kara by the throat, Jason stabbed him through the chest.

 

“Jason, why are you here? People… Clark and Bruce, they want to arrest you.”

 

Jason smirked. “They’d never be able to catch me. And I couldn’t just let my favorite Kryptonian suffer the effects of Black Mercy.”

 

“Thank you.” J’onn’s utterance was echoed by Kara. “Clark has been keeping an eye on Kara since she’s only been a solo hero for a few months. He heard about the Black Mercy. He will be here soon, and if he sees you, he will try to turn you over to Bruce.”

 

“Well I guess that’s my cue to leave.” Jason hugged Kara, shook hands with J’onn and James, and winked at Alex, who blushed. Jade elbowed him in the side.

 

“What a flirt.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

 

“Now let’s go. I want to see my daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never watched Supergirl, so I'm sorry if I messed up on some stuff.
> 
> Cat= Catherine Talia Todd  
> Dee= Diana Leslie Todd  
> AJ= Alfred James Todd
> 
> I doubt I have to point out the significance of those names.


End file.
